The best exercise is the one that is done!
Tailoring a specific exercise program is a cornerstone of effective injury management and prevention, however all too often while the intention to do the exercise program is there we just never get around to actually doing it.
Whether you are rehabbing from an injury or just exercising for health and fitness, below are five (and a half) simple and proven strategies to help you stick to your exercise program.
- Understanding. Ensure you have a sound understanding of how and why you are performing the exercises. Simplicity at least initially is important, the most important exercise is an exercise done well. If you don’t feel you have a good grasp of the exercise, or are not confident you will be able to perform it by yourself then ask your physiotherapist for clarification. There are also useful applications available to help you with your program. Here at Construct Health we use trackactive.co
- Planning. Ensure you have a pre-determined plan of when and where you will be performing your exercise program. Be specific by allocating the day, the time and where you will be doing it; if you regularly use a diary to plan your day then enter it in your diary.
- Barriers. Planning should also involve thinking about (and writing down) potential barriers to completing your program before they arise. Once you have identified barriers, come up with strategies that might help overcome them.
- Social support. Get your family, partner, friends or teammates involved with your exercise. This can be as simple as explaining your injury and exercise program to your partner to help encourage you, or recruiting a friend or teammate to head along to the gym with you.
- Use cues to remind you to get your exercise program done. Examples might include, ‘after I brush my teeth in the evening I complete my foam rolling’ or leaving gym gear on the passenger seat of your car to remind you to go to the gym after work as you get in your car.
- Exercise Diary. Take note of when you have completed your exercise program and track each exercise. You can do this digitally on the exercise app you are using, or the old-fashion way written in a note book.
Recovering from an injury can be arduous, time-consuming and testing. Setting aside a little time to complete the above steps and/or integrating them into your rehabilitation at the outset of your journey will guarantee you the best chance of achieving your health and fitness goals.
Zak Nichols
Construct Health Physiotherapy Emerald
